Night-light



J. REICHER.

NIGHT LIGHT.

APPUcATloN FILED MAY1.19|9.

laltmltivd July 8, 1919.

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JACOB REICHER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

NIGHT-LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application led May 7, 1919. Serial No. 295,449.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB REIGHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Night-Lights; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in night lights of the type usuallyemploying a glass receptacle containing paraffin or other fuel, andawick in the fuel for feeding the same to the flame by capillarity. Inlights of this character, the flame often cracks the receptacle afterthe fuel has burned approximately half way down to the receptaclebottom, and the principal object of my invention is to provide a novelconstruction and arrangement of parts to re- ,tain the flame above thepoint at which cracking is liable to take place.

A. further object is to provide a night light of simple and inexpensivenature, yet one which will be highly desirable in all respects and willeffectively melt paraffin or other fusible fuel, even in extremely coldweather.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novelconstruction and association of parts hereinafter described and claimed,reference being made to the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a perspective view of a night light constructed inaccordance ,with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the device seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view ofthe ca e for holding the wick and a massof absor ent material associated therewith.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the metal blank from which the cage shown inthe preceding figures is formed.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing a different form of cage.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the metal blank forming the wall of the cageshown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the base which coperates with theconstruction of Fig. 6 in forming a complete cage.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates asuitable receptacle which is commonly formed of glass and contains aquantity of fuel 2, which is usually in the form of paraffin or otherfusi ble fuel. Heretofore, wicks and tapers of numerous kinds have beenembedded o1' molded in the fuel 2 to feed the latter to the flame as itis melted b the heat from such flame, but it has been found,particularly in the smaller types of night lights, that after the fuellevel and flame have lowered to a point of approximately midway betweenthe top and bottom of the receptacle, cracking of the latter often takesplace. Furthermore, most forms of nightl lights do not effectively meltthe fusible fuel in cold weather. Due to the novel constructionhereinafter described, however, these difficulties are overcome.

A metal cage 3` is positioned in the fuel 2 and extends from the bottomof the receptacle to a point above the danger point, that is, the pointat which the flame from the night light endangers the receptacle l byhaving a tendency to crack the same. The cage 3 contains a quantity ofabsorbent material 4 and a Wick 5 rises from said material 4 to a pointabove the surface of the fuel. The wick may extend entirely through thebody of absorbent material, as indicated in Fig. 5, or it may extendonly a short distance into the same, as indicated in Fig. 2. The wick 5is also preferably 'stiffened by a fine wire offusible metal such aslead which will melt in the flame. This stiffened wire 5 is shown inFig. 3 and the wick material 5 is preferably, but not necessarily, wovenaround it in tubular form. If it is desired, the wick may be saturatedin paraffin before being placed in the torch, although that is notnecessary, since the wire 5u will hold the wick in an upright positionwhile the hot paraffin is poured around it and while the latter issetting.

When the wick 5 is lighted, the flame will melt the surface portion ofthe fuel and such fuel will be consumed by the flame to which it is fedby capillarity. Vhen the fuel burns to an extent sufficient to exposethe upper end G of the material 4, this material forms a torch which issupplied with the melted fuel by capillary attraction and theconstruction is such that this torch will burn only at its upper end. Itis thus insured thatthe flame shall not lower to an extent sufficient tocrack the receptacle 1.

The cage 3 might well be constructed in any adequate manner but I haveillustrated in the last named view, said blank being so bent as to forma base ring 7 and a plurality of fingers 8 rising therefrom and liquidparaiin or fuel is in the glass.

preferably converging in the form of a cone. The lower ends of thefingers 8 are spaced apart at 9 to allow the melted fuel to enter thecage and saturate the material 4, but the upper ends 10 of said fingersare disposed in close relation to prevent fuel 4from leaking from theinterior to the exterior of the cage and igniting from the flame. Theopening 11 in the base 7 permits the absorbent material 4 and the wick 5to be inserted into said cage from the lower end of the latter, but thismethod of assembly is not essential since the fingers might well be bentup around the material 4 as will be clearly understood, and in somecases it may be well to confine the upper ends of the fingers togetherb-y a wire or the like. 4The base of this substantially cone-shaped cageis made of sufficient size or diameter to provide a base that willlnotpermit the torch to topple over when nearly all of the fuel has beenconsumed and only The bottom of the cage may be of this desired width ordiameter or the lower end of the body may be made smaller `and asuitable surrounding flange provided, as indicated in Fig. 5. Figs. 5, 6and 7 disclose a different construction of cage in which fingers 12 anda base stri 13 are stamped from sheet metal and suitably bent to formthe side wall of the cage, the fingers 12 being associated in the samemanner as the fingers 8. The base strip 13 rests on a base disk 14 andis held thereon by tongues 15 stamped upwardly from the disk throughslots 16 in said strip 13. It will be-understood that this base flangeor disk 1.4 may be constructed in any desired manner and formedintegrally with or separate from and suitably secured to the lower endof the n cage.

v In making the night light cotton or other absorbent material iswrapped around one end of the stifl'ened wick 5 and the latter, with theabsorbent material, is then inserted in the cage from its larger end.lVhen paraliin or fusible fuel is used, a small quantity of itis curedin the glass or other receptacle and a ter it has started to harden thecage is pressed down into it until its base flange rests on the bottomof the glass. More paraffin or oil is then poured into the glass untilitreaches the desired level which is slightly below. the upper extremityof the wick v5. Where paraffin or the like is used, it will harden andwill effectively retain the cage and associated parts in proper placefor subsequent use, forming a unitary article which may be shipped andmarketed to advantage since no loose parts exist to be assembled whenthe device is sold or when it isto be used. The night light will be muchmore desirable than those now commonly used, since it will moreeffectively melt the paraffn or the fuel and will have no tendency tocrack the receptacle.

Since probably the best results may be obtained from the detailsdisclosed, they may well be followed, but within the scope of theinvention as claimed, numerous minor changes may well be made andobviously the device may be constructed in all sizes desired and of anyappropriate materials.

I claim: y

l. In a night light, a receptacle containing fuel, an openwork cage invsaid fuel extending from the receptacle bottom' to a point approximatelymidway between the ends of the receptacle, a mass of absorbent materialconfined in said cage, and a wick rising from said absorbent material toa point above the surface of the fuel.

2. In a night light, a receptacle containing fuel, an openwork cage insaid fuel extendingv from the receptacle bottom to a point approximatelymidway between the ends of the receptacle, a mass of absorbent materialconfined in said cage, and a wick 95 rising from vsaid absorbentmaterial to a point above the surface of the fuel, said cage having anopen upper-end through which said absorbent material protrudes; the sidewall of the cage being substantially 100 imperforate at its upper end toprevent fuel i from reaching the exterior of the cage from the interiorthereof and igniting from the flame of the wick.

3. In a night light, a receptacle containing fuel, an openwork cage insaid fuel extending from the receptacle bottom to a point. approximatelymidway between the ends of the receptacle, said cage consisting of abase and a plurality of spaced fingers 11o rising therefrom, a mass ofabsorbent material confined in said cage and terminating adjacent theupper end thereof, and a wick rising from said absorbent material to apoint above the surface `of the fuel.

.4. In a night light, a receptacle containing fuel, an openwork cage insaid fuel extendingfrom the receptacle bottom to a point approximatelymidway between thc ends of the receptacle, said cage consisting 120 of abase and a plurality of vfingers rising therefrom the lower portions o'fsaid lingers bemg spaced apart to allow fuel to enter the cage, whilethe upper ends of said fingers are disposed in close relation with each.l 25 other to prevent leakage of fuel from the interior to the exteriorof the cage at its upper end, a mass of absorbent material confined insaid cage and exposed at the upper end thereof, and a wick rising frommn said absorbent material to a point above the surface of the fuel.

5. In a night light, a cage for disposition in a receptacle containingfuel, said cage having an open upper end, a mass of absorbent materialin said cage and protruding through said open end thereof, and a Wickrising from said absorbent material.

6. In a night light, a cage for disposition in a receptacle containingfuel, the Wall of said cage being substantially imperforate at its upperend to prevent fuel from leaking from the interior to the exterior ofthe cage and igniting from the flame of the Wick.

7. In a night light, a cage for disposition in a receptacle containingfuel, said cage consisting of a base and a plurality of spaced fingersrising therefrom, a mass of absorbent material in said cage, and a Wickrising from said absorbent material.

8. In a night light, a cage for disposition in a receptacle containingfuel, said cage consisting o'f a base and a plurality of fingers risingtherefrom with their upper ends in close relation with each other toprevent leakage of fuel from the interior to the eXf terior of said cageat its upper end, a mass of absorbent material in said cage and exposedat its upper end, and a Wick rising from said absorbent material.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JACOB REICHER.

